ERP system implementations are vital for any growing business, which is why every project we work on starts with a pre-implementation workshop built with success in mind. In this article, get insights into how this approach improves the outcomes of ERP consulting for large businesses.
A Highly Collaborative Approach to ERP Consulting
Through our many years of experience, we learned that ERP implementations don’t fail because of the technology–they fail because of the lack of planning, leadership alignment, or business process inefficiencies. Industry data on ERP implementations states that 50% fail the first time around, cost much more than was initially budgeted, and can take 30% longer than anticipated.
OSI combats these negative industry trends by initiating a collaborative workshop environment as the very first step to any ERP consulting engagement. Our team allocates a full week to meet your team and identify all business processes that will be impacted by the ERP implementation. We analyze your situation, goals, and timeline, and then advance and simplify future phases of work by optimizing the more critical parts of your business system.
At the end of the workshop, we provide our clients with a fully comprehensive ERP Implementation plan that includes several options–budgets and time commitments included–which all parties will need to adhere to in order to achieve our identified outcomes. Our approach allows clients to have a high degree of confidence in the solution selected. Through our workshop deep dive, we strive to make sure you feel assured that your desired digital transformation will be achieved, well-planned, and on time.
How Does a Bridge Workshop Improve ERP Consulting?
Should you decide to go with OSI as your ERP implementation partner, our workshop is specifically designed to help us determine the scope of the potential project, optimize your processes, choose the tech stacks, establish your integration and implementation plan, discuss system training options, and iron out an all-inclusive budget for the specific timeline we’ve agreed upon.
Specifically, your organization can expect the workshop evaluation to be comprised of:
- Needed requirements gathering: Aligning the group on implementation requirements with your key decision makers present
- Focusing the attention of all involved in the implementation on a concise review of the end-to-end process.
- OSI will level-set understandings of your ERP requirements within your organization.
As goes with any partnership, underlining the terms and setting expectations is key to ensuring success. Decision makers on both ends of the partnership need to be sure they’re aligned on all aspects of the process to come. Otherwise, when it comes to projects as large as a full-scope ERP implementation, things can get messy. A workshop infuses good communication in the project right from the start.
A successful ERP consulting workshop will:
- Determine your organizational readiness for a new ERP system.
- Help you understand the required scope.
- Prevent massive budget and time overruns.
- Set realistic budget expectations.
- Identify the goals of implementation and the roadmap to complete these goals.
- Establish phases to roll out deliverables.
- Promote change readiness throughout your entire organization.
- Allow us to become familiar with your unique needs.
At OSI, we offer full flexibility. We want you to be comfortable during the workshop, with convenience and time acting as our top priorities. That said, workshops can be performed:
- In-person at your organization
- In-person at one of OSI’s regional offices
- Virtually
Who Should Be Involved in an ERP Consulting Bridge Workshop
Meeting with the OSI team allows you to assess whether we're the right partner for your ERP implementation. Since the success of most ERP projects depends more on the expertise and approach of the implementation team than the software itself, it’s important to choose a team that takes the time to understand your organization and has the skills to help you reach your long-term goals.
As for our integration team, our approach has always been to hire business professionals with differing areas of expertise. Our team is composed of CPAs, CMAs, and MBAs, as well as Warehouse, Manufacturing, Engineering, and Field Service experts, whose skill sets we’ll match to your industry’s specific needs.
On your side, it’s essential to involve key team members who will have the greatest influence on the success of your ERP project. These individuals typically have deep insight into current processes, understand operational pain points, and can help shape requirements and priorities. Engaging them early not only improves decision-making but also builds alignment and buy-in across departments, vital factors for a smooth implementation and long-term adoption.
How We Approach an ERP Consulting Bridge Workshop
Our approach is to guide you through each of the functional areas required in your ERP implementation. In general, this will include following a scheduled outline that keeps meetings on track and on schedule, as well as ensuring we don’t miss gathering any valuable requirements.
In the interest of gathering all requirements, we’ll take it upon ourselves to lead these workshops and ask all necessary questions. Of course, we ultimately view our projects as a kind of collaboration, but we will take the reins and point your project in the right direction to assure your organization that the implementation is in good hands.
The Results of an ERP Consulting Workshop
Concluding an ERP consulting workshop, you’ll receive documentation of all information gathered at the workshop in an organized format. This includes but is not limited to:
- Documentation of your Order to Cash and Procurement to Pay workflows.
- Key requirements/takeaways.
- KPI’s to assist your organization with your ERP decision-making process and ROIs that you can expect.
- Proposed schedule to fit your required go-live dates.
- Risks that we’ve identified.
- Requirements by functional area.
- Scope of Integrations required.
- Gaps in the software and options to fill these gaps.
Avoiding a Disjointed ERP Consulting Approach
No matter the software, every implementation will eventually require clear, well-documented requirements. Gathering these requirements in a piecemeal fashion during the course of the project rather than upfront can lead to inefficiencies, higher costs billed at an hourly rate, and a lack of clarity that disrupts the overall execution.
A structured workshop approach offers a smarter path forward. It allows for focused, comprehensive requirements gathering from the start, setting the stage for a more streamlined, cost-effective, and successful implementation.
